Holistic agriculture: forest gardens

Title separator

Vocabulary - agriculture

vocabulary related to agriculture

LESSON OVERVIEW

The main objectives of this lesson are to:

  • practise vocabulary related to agriculture;
  • watch a video about forest gardens;
  • discuss sustainable agriculture and landscapes.

With this lesson, students talk about landscapes and vegetation types and watch a video about a sustainable food production method. They explore vocabulary related to vegetation and environmental factors in agriculture. Students also discuss the potential of forest gardens for food production, read about the concept of permaculture and talk about challenges and success in permaculture projects.

C2 / Proficiency60 minStandard LessonUnlimited Plan

WARM-UP AND VOCABULARY

This lesson begins with a warm-up. Students look at a word cloud (e.g. desert, rainforest, mountainous area, etc.) and discuss questions about local landscapes and agriculture. Following that, they read descriptions of vegetation types in different climates and say which type of landscape in the word cloud they are most likely about. Next, students look at the texts again and find vocabulary related to agriculture (e.g. climbers, perennials, susceptible to, etc.). Afterwards, they match sentence beginnings with the most suitable endings to create statements about plants, climates, and environmental adaptations. After that, students look at places in pictures (an apple orchard, a mono-crop field and a tea plantation) and discuss questions about vegetation and environmental factors in agriculture. They also use the target vocabulary from the lesson.

VIDEO AND DISCUSSION

At this point in the lesson, students get to practise vocabulary related to agriculture, watch a video about forest gardens and say how they compare to some cultivated landscapes. Afterwards, they finish sentences about the benefits and features of forest gardens according to what they remember from the video. Then, they watch it again and check their ideas. Next, students discuss questions about the potential of forest gardens for food production. Following that, they read about the concept of permaculture and complete gaps with one word each. Finally, students look at the names of two permaculture projects (Greening the Desert Project and Incredible Edible). Based on their names, they make educated guesses about the type of landscape and vegetation each project is associated with and their primary goals. They then discuss questions about the challenges and potential success of those projects in their community.

HOMEWORK/REVISION

This lesson plan also includes an additional task that you can use as homework or revision. In the task, students complete sentences with the target vocabulary from the lesson. Then, they create other sentences using the words in a general context unrelated to plants, vegetation or farming. The task is available in the teacher’s version of the worksheet. You can print it and hand it out to your students. It’s also included in the e-lesson plan.

WORKSHEETS

Comments

Title separator

Leave a Reply

  1. Christiane IG

    WOnderful lesson! I would love to have this in an A2 – B1 level.

    1. Olia

      So glad you loved the lesson😊

Browse other materials recommended for you

Title separator
C1 / Advanced | C2 / Proficiency
Standard Lesson 60 min

Our food choices

Global Issues Lifestyle

Talk about food quality and choices with this advanced lesson! Students practise advanced vocabulary for discussing food, watch a video on lab-grown meat and share their preferences, habits and opinions.

talking about prisons
C1 / Advanced | C2 / Proficiency
Speaking Class 45 min / 60 min

Prisons: rehabilitation or retribution?

Global Issues

Discuss prison systems with this lesson! Students watch a video about mass incarceration in the US, read about ‘the world’s most humane prison’ and talk about prisoner rehabilitation. They can also revise useful vocabulary.

advanced vocabulary for discussing efficiency
C2 / Proficiency
Standard Lesson 60 min

The efficiency dilemma

Business Global Issues

Explore efficiency from different perspectives! Students learn advanced vocabulary for discussing efficiency, watch a video about the Jevons Paradox and share their opinions. They also brainstorm ways to address efficiency-related concepts.

speaking lesson on climate activism
C1 / Advanced | C2 / Proficiency
Speaking Class 45 min / 60 min

Activism or vandalism?

Global Issues

With this lesson, students discuss climate change and activism from different perspectives. They watch a video about climate activists, elaborate on news headlines and discuss the impact of some phenomena on climate activism. Students can also review words for talking about activism.

vocabulary for discussing geopolitical issues
C2 / Proficiency
Standard Lesson 60 min

Geopolitical landscape

Global Issues

With this lesson, students discuss global power dynamics! They practise vocabulary for discussing geopolitical issues, watch a video about rare earth elements and talk about countries’ geopolitical standing and global challenges.

lesson plan on corporate responsibility
C1 / Advanced | C2 / Proficiency
Speaking Class 45 min / 60 min

ESG: From compliance to commitment

Business Global Issues

With this lesson, students explore ESG regulation and its implementation! They talk about the necessity and purpose of ESG practices, watch a video about anti-ESG sentiment and discuss some controversial opinions.

speaking lesson on free speech
C1 / Advanced | C2 / Proficiency
Speaking Class 45 min / 60 min

Is free speech hate speech?

Global Issues

Dive into a discussion about free speech with this lesson! Students talk about the impact of controversial statements, watch and discuss a video about different perspectives on freedom of speech and talk about the ethics of censorship.

technology in sports
C1 / Advanced | C2 / Proficiency
Speaking Class 45 min / 60 min

The fastest shoe in the world

Lifestyle Technology

With this speaking lesson, students talk about technology in sports, sports ethics and fairness and watch a video on a controversy involving Nike’s footwear in professional running. They also discuss regulatory measures in athletics and the future of technology in sports.

advanced lesson about branding
C1 / Advanced | C2 / Proficiency
Standard Lesson 60 min

How brands influence our thinking

Business Lifestyle

Engage in a discussion about branding with this lesson! Students talk about consumer behaviour and brand-building strategies, watch a video and discuss the relationship between consumers and brands.

Show more lessons

Questions

Title separator

Is there a minimum subscription period if I choose a monthly subscription?

No, there's no minimum required number of subscription months. You can cancel any time you want. Basically, you can sign up and then cancel your subscription the next day, which will mean you have access for 1 month and won't be charged again.

What currencies can I pay in for my subscription?

Our default currency is USD (American dollar), but you can also pay in EUR (euro), GBP (British pound sterling) or PLN (Polish zloty). You can change the currency you want to pay in at the Pricing page before selecting a subscription plan.

How can I edit an e-lesson plan?

You can get your own editable copy of an e-lesson plan and make changes to it. To do so, either (1) make a copy of it on your Google Drive (preferable method) or (2) download it in a Powerpoint format (but formatting might be a bit off so we can’t guarantee that it will work well).
Read more FAQ
Title separator

ESL Brains

Forgot password?
or continue with